


Diomedea

by Fuleao



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pre-Canon, rebellion era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 12:11:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11148138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuleao/pseuds/Fuleao
Summary: Pearl wakes up in heaven.





	Diomedea

Warmth. Softness. Light; gentle, golden. Sound; muffled, humming. Surrounded, secure.

Pearl wasn’t concerned with finding these labels for her surroundings. Things simply were, and there was no need to understand them. The words came as she drifted closer to consciousness, but the realization was lost on her. At every step, she forgot she’d been unaware of these concepts only moments before.

And so it was no surprise when these sensations started to take on meaning. The warm brown was that which always filled the tent, when the sun was still out to kindle it. The humming was a voice, one she was still struggling to understand. The softness and strength were both from the arms enveloping, dwarfing her. So was the warmth, from the body she was nestled against. Pieces that added up to another gem, added up to Rose. Which, of course, Pearl had known all this time.

In fact, her fist reaction to anything was vaguely noting that she didn’t recall opening her eyes.

“Pearl?”

She blinked slowly, before dragging her gaze to meet Rose’s. After a couple of attempts, her voice managed to crack through her dry throat.

“Hi.”

“Hi, darling.”

Pearl’s smile faltered a little. She’d caught the quiver in Rose’s voice. And then…she was used to teartracks cutting through the grime of battle on Rose’s face, but there were two very different reasons that were usually behind them…

Her mind made its first forays beyond the present. On the other side of her unconsciousness was panic, noise, pain, both that which had surrounded her, and that which she had felt as she was pounded into the dirt by some quartz soldier. It was hard to remember beyond that, but there had to be more. She’d done something, this had to be her fault, it always was, and the thoughts looped and tangled around each other, as a similar knot formed in her midsection.

“I have something to show you.” Rose’s voice was still ragged, her face still tired…..but she was smiling.

Pearl was shifted, and Rose’s newly freed arm rose into view. The fogged, scrambling anxiety grew at the sight of deep gashes, in sets of four, scouring Rose’s sword arm, up to the shoulder. It was likely that wasn’t the only place claws had landed.

“Stars, Rose! Are you alright?” After failing to flounder upright, she took Rose’s hand as if it might break off at her touch.

“I’m fine. More than fine. You….you let me get these.”

Another jolt to her struggling system. Pearl started to look up, but thought better of it as the corners of her eyes started to sting. She was having trouble remembering, she was having trouble processing, she just wanted to know what she’d done wrong. “I’m sorry, Rose, I didn’t…”

“…oh! Oh no no! I didn’t mean it like that, I….I’m glad, Pearl.” The large hand pulled free of Pearl’s and moved towards her face, only to curl and return to Pearl’s grip. Despite herself, Pearl smiled. Cupping the chin might be a tender gesture to some, but to her it felt like being cornered. She’d only had to mention it once.

She felt Rose lean in closer, murmuring into Pearl’s hair rather than try to see her face. “You let me fight her off by myself, even when it started out rough.” A kiss lighted on her scalp. “I saw you, you kept glancing over, but you waited. And I started to come out on top, so you stuck with your own fight.”

Pearl hazarded a glance up. Any shame she felt melted instantly as she met Rose’s eyes, shining with pride in a way that lit the entirety of her face.

“But…but I was beaten. Soundly, it feels like.”

“Well, yes, but…I mean, you went down fighting for no one but yourself. And not doing anything reckless. It was just….the way things go sometimes.”

Pearl could only smile at that, slowly at first, seeking permission, before blooming into a full display of her teeth.

The smile stayed, faintly, as she closed her eyes and eased back into Rose’s embrace. With the weight lifted from her mind, a smaller, much easier issue rose to the forefront, bringing affection with it rather than worry. She had laid in Rose’s arms more than enough times to notice when something was different. “Rose. Lie down.”

“What?”

“You’re exhausted, darling. Lie down.”

“I’m fine, Pearl. Don’t worry about me.”

Pearl opened her eyes and stared, lips curled in playfully. There was only a moment’s hesitation before Rose burst into giggles. Very carefully, Rose rearranged the two of them on the ground and drew Pearl close. Pearl nuzzled into Rose’s neck and let out a deep sigh.

Soon enough, she couldn’t conjure words like _peace_ or _contentment_ , but she felt them with all the vastness of the space in her gem.


End file.
